The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation told the Delhi High Court that changing the Hindi signage of ‘Supreme Court’ metro station to ‘Sarvoch Nyayalaya’ would cost Rs 40–45 lakh per station. DMRC said the move would create a financial burden and could trigger similar demands for other stations.
New Delhi: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Tuesday informed the Delhi High Court that it is not in favour of changing the Hindi signage of the ‘Supreme Court’ metro station to ‘Sarvoch Nyayalaya’ in Devanagari script, stating that such a move would cause a significant financial burden on the public exchequer.
The submission was made before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Umesh Sharma. The petitioner has challenged the use of the English name ‘Supreme Court’ on the metro station signage and has sought that the Hindi version should read ‘Sarvoch Nyayalaya’ in Devanagari script.
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Appearing for DMRC, its counsel submitted that implementing such a change would not be limited to replacing a single board. She told the Court that the estimated cost of one such change would be around Rs 40–45 lakh. Apart from physical signage at the station, updates would also be required in route maps, digital displays, mobile applications, and other official materials connected with the metro network.
Highlighting the financial implications, the counsel stated,
“It comes as a financial burden. One such change is Rs 40-45 lakh per station… It’s a PSU,”
pointing out that DMRC is a public sector undertaking and must carefully consider public expenditure.
The counsel further argued that allowing such a change in one station’s name may open the door for similar demands concerning other metro stations. According to her, this could lead to further litigation and operational complications for the corporation.
However, the Bench observed that the mere apprehension of multiple litigations cannot be a valid ground to oppose the plea. The Court directed DMRC to file a detailed affidavit explaining its stand and the financial aspects involved. The matter has now been listed for further hearing in April.
In his petition, Umesh Sharma argued that as per the Official Languages Act and the relevant rules, all manuals, signages, and nameplates in Central government offices should be displayed in both English and Hindi, with Hindi written in Devanagari script. He contended that while the English name ‘Supreme Court’ is displayed at the metro station, the Hindi translation should properly reflect ‘Sarvoch Nyayalaya’.
To strengthen his argument, the petitioner pointed out that the ‘Central Secretariat’ metro station is displayed as ‘Kendriya Sachivalaya’ in Hindi. He also referred to the official website of the Supreme Court of India, where its Hindi name is mentioned as “Bharat ka Sarvoch Nyayalaya”.
The case raises important questions regarding language policy, public expenditure, and uniformity in official signage in the national capital.
The Delhi High Court will examine whether the existing signage violates any statutory language requirements and whether the financial burden cited by DMRC justifies maintaining the current naming format. The matter will now be taken up in April for further consideration.
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